JUDGEMENT FUND HEARING
M.O.D.
WHAT IS IT REALLY ?
On November 22, at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Ignatius Community Center, a public hearing will be held to present the Tribes proposed distribution of $550,000 judgement funds awarded to the Tribes in 1966, and held in escrow until a plan of disrribution and to include this record in a presentation to Congress for their approval.
The judgement funds were awarded to the Tribe by the
Court of Claims for compensation of lands erroneously surveyed-out of the Reservation boundary. The survey took place in 1887 along the , Northern boundary, and in 1893 along the Southwest boundary, under provisions of the Hell Gate Treaty of 1855.
Over 15,000 acres of land and water were deleted in the survey, and the proposed plan
of the Tribal governing body is to seek reacquisition of 10-585,86 acres which lies along the Southwest boundary of the Reservation. This land has been placed in National Forest, and not having third parties involved,would not be difficult to reaquire. However, the remaining 4,000 plus acres, mostly lying along the northern boundary, have either been patented to third parties
Continued on page 2
Montanans Opposing Discrimination has a majestic, democratic sounding ring to q it. Is it really a place for those of any race, color, or national origin to unite against injustice and discrimination? Very noble sentiments indeed, if they are true. Yet many M.O.D. statements and actions have not appeared to favor the Indians. The Char-Koosta felt that perhaps some of its readers would appreciate more information.
( Continued on page 6 )
Koostahtahy
Volume 5 Number 14
Full Moon of Autumn
November 15,1975
12 FILE FOR COUNCIL
JUDGE FINDS ZEMPEL GUILTY
TRESPASS SUIT
Dixon: Seven more candidates for Tribal Council have tossed their hats into the political ring. Among the twelve to file as of the 5th of November, are two incumbant Councilmen, Robert McCrea and Vic Stinger.
The Candidates are as follows:
Arlee.....Ted Pellew
.....Tom McDonald
.....Virginia Brazill
St. Ignatius....Al Sloan
.....Noel Pitchette
......Richard McElderry
......Joanne Kuntz
Dixon.....Robert McCrea
......Joseph Dumontier
Pablo.....Vic Stinger
......George Garcia
Hot Springs...Ron Matt
Deadline for filing is Nov. 28, 1975 at 4:30 p.m. The election committee will verify legal requirements for candidates and an official list will be post ten days before election.
Continued on page l
Missoula: U.S. District Court Judge Russell E. Smith found Darwin Zempel, 19 year old St. Ignatius resident, guilty of fishing on Tribal land without a permit, and has fined him $50.00.
Judge Smith's decision, handed down Nov. 3, states, " By Ordinance No. 44, adopted by the Tribal Council and approved by the Secretary of the Interior, non-members of the Tribe are forbidden to go upon Tribal trust It.dian lands or waters of the reservation without a permit. Defendent • did not have a permit and hence was fishing upon Indian lands without lawful authority.
he added,"......defendent had
lived on the reservation for six years.....he had been previously arrested for fishing in Tribal
waters;.....he was a member of
FREE ( Flathead Residents Earning Equality) an organization interested in the relation ship between Indians and non-Indians and generally opposed to the Indian fishing permit system. "
Zempel was charged with illegally fishing through ice on the Lower Crow Creek Resi-voir on March 21, 1975.
It is not known at this time if Zempel intends to appeal f% Judge Smith's decision.
A trespass suit has been filed by the U.S. Attorneys office on behalf of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes against the Mountain Bell Telephone Co.
The suit charges the Montana Corporation with trespassing and laying,and utilizing an underground cable in December of 1971.
The telephone line was laid along a right-of-way granted only for county road construction for highway 200.
The Mountain Bell Company had not obtained consent from the Secretary of the Interior or from the Tribal governing body. Nor had the company compensated the Tribe for the use of such right-of-waV.
The suit was filed in U.S. district Court, in Missoula on October 28, 1975, and asks for costs of litigation and other such relief as is deemed just and proper by the Court.
